Seeing the unwilling Ziwei, Anke, understanding her situation, stepped down from the head of the table and walked up to Ziwei. "If it weren't for the fact that your uncle still feels guilty towards your mother, do you think you would have been able to come to this banquet?" Anke didn't mention anything else, only saying some unrelated things.
Just that one sentence made Ziwei's eyelids droop, as if she had lost all her strength.
“It’s because the Imperial Uncle is mindful of our past relationship that he hasn’t touched you. Do you think I really don’t want to take you down with me? You have to cut the weeds at the root. I’m afraid they’ll grow back in the spring.” An Ke stepped forward and pinched Ziwei’s chin as she spoke.
“I thought you would behave yourself and live your own life in Shufangzhai. But I didn’t expect you to be so restless and always want to court death.” An Ke said frankly as he stood up and looked down at Ziwei.
"You talk about her guilt towards my mother. I am her daughter, her own daughter. But in the end, I can't compare to you." Ziwei said unwillingly, and then she started to laugh loudly.
“That’s because the Imperial Uncle is mindful of past relationships. If he were a cold-hearted person, he could have simply ignored your mother, and you wouldn’t be sitting here.” An Ke said calmly, glancing at her again. “Think about all the trouble you caused when you first entered the palace, and it all passed by so easily. Just for the one thing of confusing the royal bloodline, you should all be executed to set an example for the palace.”
"As for the rest, you didn't grow up by the Emperor's side, so you can't blame anyone else. After all, your mother only told you this before she passed away." An Ke looked calmly at Ziwei, who had a resentful expression. "As for what you just said about setting a trap, that's right. I was indeed setting a trap for you."
“I noticed you back when you were frequently going in and out of Baoyue Tower.” An Ke glanced at Ziwei, whose face was full of panic.
Ziwei looked at Hanxiang sitting next to her in disbelief, and moved her lips, "Why? You clearly know that it was she who set the trap to harm Mengdan, why don't you take revenge?" Ziwei shouted hoarsely, like a wounded little beast trapped in a cage, making a futile struggle.
“I told you, it was he who was in the wrong. The Emperor has already granted permission for him to be buried in the Hui ethnic region after his death. I am already very grateful,” Hanxiang said, her head bowed.
There was something Hanxiang didn't say: no matter what, the Hui people were now dependent on the Qing Dynasty, sharing both prosperity and adversity. She understood this principle. Although she didn't understand the politics of the court, the letters her father brought her all expressed gratitude to the Qing Dynasty.
Ziwei glared at Anke with resentment, but her words were filled with sorrow. "I accept that the victor is king and the loser is villain." But when she turned to look at Xiaoyanzi, Ziwei was full of indignation. "Xiaoyanzi, you clearly promised me. You probably don't know, but Xiao Jian was in the White Lotus Sect back then. He was your own brother, and he also fell into our Princess Yong'an's trap. I didn't expect you to help the enemy."
"Stop trying to sow discord. His regicide is enough to kill him." An Ke frowned as she watched, and Ziwei, who had been somewhat docile just moments before, suddenly became agitated again.
Xiao Yanzi stood up straight and turned to look at Ziwei. "Since you already knew he was my brother, why didn't you tell me when he was executed yesterday?" Xiao Yanzi didn't shout, but the tears on her face seemed endless.
Ziwei's eyes darted away for a moment; she dared not look at Xiaoyanzi's bright eyes, which were filled with sadness and disappointment. "I'm sorry for what happened, but if it weren't for Xiao Jian's instigation, Erkang might not have gone this far." As she said this, Ziwei met Xiaoyanzi's gaze. "Now none of this matters anymore; right or wrong is irrelevant."
The person is gone, so there's really no point in talking about these things.
"Besides, I've already met my brother, and I know that it was the Emperor who cleared the name of my parents. My brother also repented before he died, and only told me to live well." Xiao Yanzi looked somewhat dejected when she talked about Xiao Jian.
After all, Xiao Yanzi wasn't present when Xiao Jian was beheaded, and she didn't even have the right to cry. Thinking about this, she harbored some resentment towards Ziwei, but as Ziwei said, if it weren't for her brother's instigation, Erkang probably wouldn't have ended up like this. This messy affair can never be truly resolved.
From initial shock to bewilderment, and now to amazement, everyone's feelings have been like a rollercoaster ride of excitement.
Looking at the situation below, the Emperor was at a loss for words. He glanced at Ziwei and was ultimately disappointed. "Ziwei, you know that Fu Erkang murdered the emperor, yet you aided and abetted him. I originally intended to choose a minister as your husband after your mother's mourning period, considering Yuhe's situation."
"But you have disappointed me greatly. Go back to Shufangzhai now and reflect on your mistakes in seclusion. All the other palace maids and eunuchs will be reassigned to other palaces. You will only have Jin Suo by your side. I will have people patrol your Shufangzhai day and night." After saying this, the Emperor closed his eyes, as if he were exhausted from speaking. He seemed to have aged instantly.
Ziwei seemed to have resigned herself to her fate. She hadn't even managed to get revenge, and in doing so, she had even lost her sworn sisters. Ziwei let them drag her up and take her back to Shufangzhai.
"As for Consort Xiang, she is fair and impartial, and the Ministry of Rites shall promote her to the rank of Consort Xiang." The Emperor had indeed known about Ziwei's matter for a long time, not only because Anke had told him, but also because of Consort Xiang.
The Empress Dowager had no objection to this, and simply nodded slightly. Consort Xiang happily knelt down to express her gratitude.
"Although Xiao Yanzi knew the truth but did not report it, considering that she did not commit a serious crime, she shall be transferred to... Baoyue Tower." The Emperor looked at Xiao Yanzi below the stage, and indeed, she had changed drastically since she first entered the palace.
Thinking of the joy and happiness that Xiao Yanzi had brought him, the Emperor couldn't bear to keep her confined forever. But he was also worried about transferring her to another place. When he saw An Ke gesturing in the direction of Han Xiang, the Emperor immediately understood.
Little Swallow is only thinking about surviving now; she doesn't care where she is.
A family dinner fraught with turmoil passed by without incident.
Prince Rui wanted An Ke to stay at his residence for a few days. At first, the Emperor glared at him with a face full of resentment, as if to say, "How have I wronged your daughter?"
It wasn't until Prince Rui winked at the Emperor that the Emperor belatedly realized, "Yes, they'll all be getting married after the New Year." So, with a wave of his hand, he granted permission.
Anke was about to go back to her room to rest when she returned to the mansion when Prince Rui called her back.
"Father, is there something you need?" Anke looked at Prince Rui with a puzzled expression. What could he possibly want to talk about in the middle of the night?
"You'll be getting married after the New Year. Would you like to stay at the Cining Palace or the Prince's Mansion? Your father and mother will respect your decision." Prince Rui said, his eyes filled with tears. At this moment, he was no longer a prince of the Qing Dynasty; he was just an ordinary father. Just a father who couldn't bear to see his daughter get married.
At this point, An Ke also became a little emotional, and said with emotion, "It's still early, why is Father starting to make arrangements so quickly? Besides, shouldn't this kind of thing be decided by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?"
Prince Rui stepped forward and gently stroked An Ke's hair. "Your uncle has already entrusted this matter to you, and your mother and I respect your decision." But in fact, Princess Rui really wanted An Ke to marry into the Prince's residence.
After all, they haven't been together for so many years. Now that her daughter is getting married, the princess wants to spend more time with her and teach her more about her daughter's life.
From the moment her daughter was born, the princess had known this day would come, but she never imagined it would arrive so soon.
"Then... let's do it at the Prince's Mansion." Although An Ke really wanted to get married at Cining Palace with Qing'er, the two of them would definitely cause chaos for the people at Cining Palace. It would be better for them to get married separately.
After all, Qing'er and the Empress Dowager had a deep bond, and Qing'er had no relatives left. It was very appropriate for Qing'er to marry in Cining Palace. As for An Ke, she was originally a daughter of the Prince's Mansion, so she would naturally return to the Prince's Mansion.
Seeing the prince and princess's tearful eyes, An Ke couldn't bring herself to refuse. Although they had rarely seen each other since An Ke was born, except for the time before she turned three, the constant stream of letters and the occasional new trinkets they brought back all showed that the prince and princess were thinking of her.
Although Anke was an orphan in her previous life, it would be a lie to say she wasn't envious of other families being together. Now that she has a family of her own, she naturally wants to cherish them together.
"Alright, Father will tell your mother later. Your mother was afraid of hearing a word of rejection from you, so she went back early." The usually brave and decisive Prince Rui seemed somewhat at a loss in front of his daughter.
"Then your daughter will go back and rest first." Anke couldn't say anything comforting at the moment, she just went up and hugged her old father.
"Alright, Xingxing will take good care of the princess." A hug almost made Prince Rui sad again.
After watching An Ke's figure disappear at the end of the flower corridor, the prince happily headed towards his room, eager to tell the princess the good news.
The princess, dressed in her nightgown, sat on the bed with a worried expression. Seeing the prince return, she didn't show her usual demeanor, simply sitting quietly on the bed. "Tell me," she said, "where will An'an get married? I can accept it."
After a moment of silence, it was the princess who broke the deadlock first, as she still wanted to know where her daughter would choose.
The prince strode forward, put his arm around the princess's shoulder, and the princess instantly lost her composure. She rested her hand on the prince's shoulder, tears streaming down her face. "I know I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as a mother, so naturally I have no right to ask An'an to do anything."
"Alright, I haven't even finished speaking, and you're already making assumptions?" Seeing the princess crying, the prince immediately took out his handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears. "Our daughter is getting married in the palace, and you haven't even let me finish speaking."
Upon hearing this, the princess perked up and instantly got up from the prince's embrace. "Really? Where is An'an now?"
"Where could she be now? She came back with us, so naturally she's in her own room," the prince replied patiently.
The princess's mood visibly changed instantly; she stood up, grabbed her quilt, and prepared to leave.
"Hey, where are you going?" The prince was completely baffled by the princess's actions and quickly grabbed a corner of the quilt.
"Let go of me. An'an has finally come home, and I'm going to stay with her. You can rest here by yourself tonight." After saying that, the princess hugged her quilt and left without looking back.
The inner room door was wide open, letting in a gust of cold wind. The prince felt utterly alone and couldn't sleep. But what could he do? The princess adored An'an so much. He decided to ignore it and washed up before going to bed.
Tonight is a night without the princess.
*
Shufangzhai
Ziwei was being escorted back by the guards, but Jin Suo didn't rush forward as usual; instead, she kept shrinking back, as if afraid of being noticed.
"What are you doing? How can you treat our princess like this?" Mingyue stepped forward directly and asked the guards stiffly. But Mingyue was bolstering her courage; her palms were already sweating.
"His Majesty has decreed that only Princess Ziwei and Jin Suo will remain in Shufangzhai. The rest of you will be notified to go to other palaces." After saying this, the guard didn't care about the stunned people in the courtyard. He simply placed Ziwei in Mingyue and Caixia's arms and left.
They were only responsible for bringing Princess Ziwei back; they weren't responsible for anything afterward. After all, they couldn't be like Fu Erkang, neglecting their duties and losing their jobs. Weren't there precedents right in front of them? Nobody was stupid.
After the guards left, Jin Suo quietly stepped forward, pushed aside Mingyue and Caixia, and carried Ziwei back to her bedchamber.
"Oh, that's strange. Wasn't Princess Ziwei supposed to go with... Little Swallow?" Little Mosquito was a little surprised. Why didn't Little Swallow, who went with her, come back?
"The world is about to change at Shufangzhai," Xiaozhuo said with a sigh, then went back to his room without making any sense.
"Isn't this obvious? This Shufangzhai is going to keep Princess Ziwei and Jin Suo. It's clear that the Emperor is already tired of this place." Little Bug pulled everyone aside and whispered.
"Forget it, everyone will go their separate ways by then. Taking care of yourselves is the most important thing." Mingyue and Caixia still had to hurry back to take care of Princess Ziwei, since they were still servants at Shufangzhai.
Qianqing Palace
The Emperor lay on the bed in his nightgown, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what he did. Thinking about what had happened in the palace that day, he felt extremely cold and heartbroken.
He sat up abruptly from the bed, walked to the table, and looked at the memorial. The emperor flipped through several volumes with a sense of unease.
The Emperor then happened to see a memorial from a small country that had been harassing the Qing Dynasty for years, requesting to marry a Qing princess. After pondering for a moment, the candle burned and burned, and finally the Emperor wrote "Approved" on the memorial.
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